Former Kerry minor to complete astounding ascent through the AFL ranks on Saturday

Mark O'Connor is making himself a home away from Dingle in Australia.

The Kerryman played a starring role as a midfield general in the Kingdom's 2014 and 2015 All-Ireland minor triumphs. His performances were so good that he was dubbed by Kerry great Colm Cooper as a "potential leader for Kerry down the line" and "one of the best minors in the country." As is the case with many of Ireland's top minor footballers, however, the Aussie Rules clubs were quick to take notice and snapped him up. The Dingle man has taken minimal time to adapt to life in the southern hemisphere and his meteoric rise in the VFL (the reserves competition for the AFL) will see the 20-year-old make his senior AFL debut this weekend for the Geelong Cats. The Cats announced on Thursday morning that O'Connor has been promoted from their rookie list to their senior list. The 20-year-old will make his debut against Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds this weekend. O'Connor will "add some pace and flair to the Cats' midfield in Saturday night's game at the MCG," according to Geelong's official site. The rising star revealed last year that five Australian clubs were in competition for his signature but that The Cats won the race due to the favourable comparisons that exist between Geelong and Dingle. Avoiding homesickness is a key to the survival of Irish footballers in the AFL. Paddy Brophy, the Kildare-man recently abandoned his three-year Aussie Rules career citing "personal reasons, including homesickness" as the cause of his return to Ireland. O'Connor seems to have chosen a suitable club. Given Brophy's return, and the numerous other Irish GAA players who have failed to make a senior breakthrough Down Under, this is a fair achievement by the Kerryman. The in-demand O'Connor stood out as a minor in Ireland due to his phenomenal fielding ability and his athleticism. The man had four All-Ireland medals won before his 19th birthday, adding his county's minor victories to the two Hogan Cups won with his school Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne. He's obviously maintained these abilities, fostered during his GAA career, and added more facets to his game Down Under.